The index enables investors to measure the performance of European-listed securities of companies that are participating in government programs designed to recapitalize financial institutions and revitalize European credit markets.

"We believe that this index will be a useful tool to help investors tracking the various European governments' response to the global financial crisis," said, NASDAQ OMX Vice President Magdalena Hartman.

"Alongside our U.S. Government Relief Index launched earlier this year, this is the only index that allows taxpayers and investors to benchmark the performance of companies participating in governmental financial relief plans."

The NASDAQ OMX European Government Relief Index consists of European companies across multiple industry groups that have received a direct investment greater than 500 million Euros from a local government. The components of the Index are selected by the NASDAQ OMX Index Committee which was created to track European government relief programs. At launch the European Government Relief index contains 21 companies.

The index is calculated in real-time across the combined exchanges and is disseminated in Euros, British Pounds, and U.S. Dollars. The index base value is 1000.0 and the base date is January 5, 2009. For more information about The NASDAQ OMX European Government Relief Index, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.